Countdown starts as Kia Kee opens its doors

The doors have been unlocked on Kia’s Kee – and, as you can see, the striking new Korean coupé looks remarkably production-ready.

Unlike many show cars at the Frankfurt expo, it has a complete interior, with twin sports seats and a racy, flat-bottomed steering wheel. The dashboard features deep-set sports instruments and, with neat chrome trim on the centre console, the cabin is a classy but sporty place to be.

Kia says the car is very close to getting the green light for production, and all that’s left is to pick a platform. The display Kee has under­pinnings from the front-wheel-drive Hyundai Coupé. But the final model could be based on Hyundai’s new rear-wheel-drive perfor­mance car – revealed in spy shots in Issue 973 – and feature a V6 engine.

Whatever happens, the Kee is expected to make its production debut towards the end of 2008.